Art hard sell even when it's free

New homes are needed for 16 precast concrete "wave" sculptures that stirred controversy when installed in Des Plaines' Gateway Park in 1998.

The 1,200-pound waves were deposited last year in a public works storage facility to make way for new landscaping.

"Does anyone want to catch a wave?" Ald. Tom Becker asked at Monday's City Council meeting. Becker said he would consider taking a wave sculpture for his back yard. Ald. Dick Sayad, an opponent of the waves as public art, also volunteered to take in a sculpture or two, as did Ald. Rosemary Argus.

"I've got a summer home in Wisconsin," Sayad said.

Ald. Laura Murphy said she wasn't interested in a wave sculpture.

The publicly maligned sculptures were likened to tombstones by some residents after they were designed and built for two corner parks at River Road and Miner Street.

In February, officials sent letters to 18 business owners and organization directors seeking homes for the sculptures in exchange for donations, if possible. Maine West High School officials expressed interest but withdrew from consideration, said Christine Bajor, environmental services coordinator.

Des Plaines Historical Society President John Burke wrote Bajor that he would be interested in a few wave sculptures for a historic walkway but said the society rarely paid for artifacts. Aldermen voted 7-0 to donate three of the sculptures to the Historical Society.

Ald. Carla Brookman said the waves cost at least $400,000 to design and build. Some of the sculptures could be incorporated into a planned Des Plaines riverwalk or auctioned, with proceeds going to charity, Brookman said.

"We paid a lot of money for them and certainly we're not going to recover anywhere near that," Brookman said.